Tag: Studios

The sun has set again on Spode studios. It got to about 5pm and the fire alarm went off. It was only a test but it was an excuse to stop painting Jupiter. My sisephean task at the moment. Get one bit right and the rest looks wrong.

On the way out I called into another artists studio. She is doing some beautiful and unusual pen drawings for an exhibition of Blue.

One advantage I have in my studio is no single glazed windows, just a blank brick wall, a bit mouldy, with a drainpipe on it, but it keeps the warmth in.

The studio we looked round has windows and I was immediately taken by the ultramarine blue of the sky, and the snowy roofs outside the studio. We are on the first floor, so you can see the tops of the buildings across the way from the factory.

If you want an abstract image you don’t need to go far in spode studios. Just look down at the floor. The yellow stripes and turquoise patches make a fine design. I don’t know what the building was like before they put studios in on either side of the corridor but perhaps the blue green areas were where machines were sited.

I took a couple of pictures today but couldn’t help getting my foot in one….

I think if I painted these they would have to have a thick varnish so that they have that sheen that the floors have. So many ideas that I can think of, I love the way there are views and images at the old spode site that evoke the history of the place.

Here are two more photos. This time pictures out of the windows of of the studios.

The chill cold of autumn has penetrated Spode studios this weekend, the high ceilings prevent the warm air produced by heaters in each makers studio from keeping the chill air out. As soon as you open your door it escapes like a hot air balloon. If we had our studios in the roof space we might be warmer. The studios are little wooden boxes like hermits cells sprung along both sides of corridors that meander off around corners Some of the studios are open, without false ceilings and these get even colder unless you put industrial sized hot air blowers on. The studios with windows are single glazed with either wood or metal frames. Some have louvers to allow air in. Even when they are closed they let cold air in.

Don’t get me wrong I’m not complaining, just explaining. There are a few warmish spots, like the kitchen if you shut the door.

Each studio that does have a false ceiling also has a layer of insulation above it. So you can actually be warm there…. But walk along the corridor when it’s cold and your breath steams. If you make yourself a coffee in the kitchen it could get cold just walking back to the studio.

One architectural novelty are the curved, almost barrel vaulted ceilings along parts of the corridor. I have never seen anything like it before. Great waves of concrete curve like giant corrugated tin above you. But the wavelength is far longer. Its a very interesting building to work in… But did I mention… Its cold ❄

Which is why I have used a warm picture of autumn flowers to illustrate it.